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Brothers
'' |image= |series= |production=40274-177 |producer(s)= |story= |script=Rick Berman |director=Robert Bowman |imdbref=tt0708683 |guests=Cory Danziger as Jake Potts, Colm Meaney as Miles O'Brien, Adam Ryen as Willie Potts, James Lashly as Kopf |previous_production=Suddenly Human |next_production=Family |episode=TNG S04E03 |airdate=8 October 1990 |previous_release=Family |next_release=Suddenly Human |story_date(s)=Stardate 44085.7 (2367) |previous_story=Family |next_story=Suddenly Human }} =Summary= A misguided prank between two young brothers exposes one of them to a toxic parasite that cannot be treated aboard the USS Enterprise, but Dr. Crusher is able to stabilize his condition in a controlled environment in Sickbay while the ship sets out for a facility that can cure the boy. As Commander Data escorts the older brother to visit his sibling, he suddenly stops and returns to the bridge, where, unseen by the crew, he triggers an alarm causing the evacuation of the bridge to be ordered. Captain Picard orders Data to transfer the controls to Engineering, but Data instead mimics Picard's voice and locks the command of the ship to the bridge, directing the starship to an unknown planet. The crew discover Data's lock down, and disable the transporter's site-to-site function to prevent Data from easily moving about the ship. Once the Enterprise is in orbit about the planet of Terlina III, he creates a programmed sequence of force fields to allow him to move from the bridge to the nearest transporter room without being stopped by security, and then beams down to the planet, leaving the Enterprise still under his lock down. Picard orders his crew to attempt to override any parts of the ship's control, while Dr. Crusher attempts to keep the infected boy stabilized. Data finds himself in the home of his creator, Dr. Noonien Soong. Soong states he called Data to him using a form of automatic recall, and makes a manual adjustment on Data to return him to normal. Soong tells Data that he is dying, and wishes to bestow an "emotion chip" to him. As they talk, they are joined by Lore, also drawn by the same recall that Data received. Soong is shocked to learn Lore was reassembled, and when Lore attempts to claim the emotion chip as his own, Soong acknowledges that the androids are identical apart from minor variations in programming, but that the emotion chip is still meant for Data alone. With Lore's revelation, Soong decides to rest before implanting the chip, leaving Data and Lore to talk. When he returns, he proceeds to implant the chip but discovers too late that Lore had managed to deactivate Data and switch clothing with him, such that he now possesses the emotion chip. Soong tries to warn Lore the chip is not meant for him, but Lore instead strikes Soong and transports off the planet. The crew of the Enterprise have found a way to beam down to the planet, and find the dying Soong and the deactivated Data. After Data is reactivated, he cannot recall any of what he did on the Enterprise to lead to this planet, but Soong is able to reveal where Data can find that information and to unlock the ship's controls. Data apologizes to Soong that he will not be able to grieve for his loss, but Soong knows that Data will find a way. After Soong dies, the Enterprise returns on course to the medical facility. Data observes the brothers at play after forgiving each other for the accident, contemplating his own relationship with Lore. =Errors and Explanations= Plot Oversights # Attempting to leave the ship after discovering O'Brien has diabled site to site transport, Data asks the computer to show him the shortest route to Transporter Room 1. Why doesn'y Data know this already, given the time he has spent on board? He never needed to know this before. Equipment Oddities # Picard not ordering everyone to the Battle Bridge. The dedicated turbolift would not have enough room for everyone, and it would take too long for everyone to get there using the regular turbolifts and corridors. # Why didn't the Transporter biofilter remove the parasite? The parasite may be biofilter proof. # Riker appearing back in Main Engineering after Data beamed down, despite being sealed on the transporter pads with O'Brien by Data's force field. The force field may have automatically shut down when Data beamed down. Internet Movie Database Plot holes # When the bridge crew finally regains control of the bridge, Worf scans the planet looking for Data and reports that the ship's scanners have detected only one "life form"...and that it is human. Either the scanners aren't working very well or Worf isn't very skilled at using them because, a short time before, a brief shot of Data approaching Dr. Soong's house on the planet showed Data walking through dense jungle-like foliage. Not only did the foliage contain what appeared to be hundreds of different green plants and trees, in the background could clearly be heard- rather loudly- the sounds of numerous insects and birds. Do these plants, trees, insects, and birds not qualify as "life forms"? Worf is referring to biological life forms. Nit Central # Steve McKinnon on Tuesday, September 07, 1999 - 10:18 am: I hope I've got the right episode for this, but when Data tricks the bridge crew into leaving because he's forced a failure of life support, why is it he's able to speak to the computer? Without molecules to conduct sound, it would be impossible for the computer's microphones to hear Data. Chris Booton (Cbooton) on Tuesday, September 07, 1999 - 12:28 pm: Perhaps the air did not get drained right away. Perhps it was just that no new air was being supplied and as a result they had to evacuate because it would not take long for the air to run out.By Steve McKinnon on Tuesday, September 07, 1999 - 2:16 pm: On the other hand, 'life support failure' could also cover too much nitrogen and not enough oxygen in the air, thus allowing Data to communicate with the computer. # Will S. on Monday, August 21, 2000 - 10:25 am: Worf's sensors show no life forms in Lore's ship, so doesn't that prove that Lore and Data are not 'alive', proving the point from The Measure of a Man? ScottN on Tuesday, August 22, 2000 - 8:46 am: Will, I assume that Worf is looking for *ORGANIC* life forms. # And why totally disassemble Lore,and build Data? If programming is the issue, why not just build a new head (Data's), and attach it to the original body (Lore's)? It was probably easier to build a whole new body. # Keith Alan Morgan (Kmorgan) on Monday, July 23, 2001 - 3:12 am: That recall device of Soong's seems rather rude. Wouldn't it have been better if Soong had programmed it to have his `sons' finish what they were doing, then if necessary request time off from whatever organization they were a part of? (What if this thing had been activated when Data was with Yar in The Naked Now, or with Jenna D'Sora during In Theory? "What are you doing on the bridge out of uniform? And put that thing away before you hurt someone.") Much better would to have it just tell Data that he should travel to such and such coordinates as soon as possible and come alone. Too risky, given Soong's advanced age and state of health – he might have been too ill, or even dead, by the time Data arrived. # Soong does come off as rather antisocial. When he wants Data to come to him he activates a device that forces Data to stop what he's doing and steal a ship. When he escaped from Omicron Theta he didn't bother telling anyone about the crystalline entity. For that matter, the colonists themselves didn't send word of the Crystalline Entity, despite seeing it and surviving it. (If they didn't survive the initial encounter, how could they build their underground complex and have their kids draw pictures of it?) See my Datalore page # John A. Lang on Sunday, September 15, 2002 - 8:17 pm: In Generations, Data installs his emotion chip. Where did he get it? Certainly not from this episode, Lore took it! AND Soong said there was only ONE chip! Merat on Sunday, September 15, 2002 - 8:38 pm: Spoiler: John, Descent, Part II. # Nemysis on Thursday, January 23, 2003 - 8:14 pm: WHY IS THERE A POTENTIALLY DEADLY PLANT on the ship that CHILDREN have access too? If you listen to the conversation Riker has with Willy's brother, the "Cove Palm" is right there in the arboretum and theres nothing to stop children or anyone else from trying to eat it. Callie Sullivan on Friday, January 24, 2003 - 3:22 am: The plant was down on the planet they were visiting, not in the Enterprise's arboretum. # Callie Sullivan on Friday, January 24, 2003 - 3:22 am: At the end of the episode the boys are playing with toy dinosaurs which Data brought from Soong's lab. Hang on: when Data got his memory back Riker made it clear that they were in a really big rush to get the Enterprise to Starbase (whatever) to save Willy's life. Not only does Data take time out to have a final chat with his dad, but he also stops to grab a few souvenirs?! The Enterprise may have quickly beamed some items aboard before heading for the starbase. # John A. Lang on Wednesday, July 16, 2003 - 7:51 am: Let me get this straight...the boys were on an ALIEN PLANET and one of them decides to pick the fruit off an ALIEN PLANT and eat its ALIEN FRUIT? Didn't the parents teach their kids about the dangers of doing this? I mean...just because a piece of ALIEN FRUIT looks "yummy", that doesn't mean it's safe to eat!!! Where's the D.C.F.S. when you need them?Brian Fitzgerald on Wednesday, July 16, 2003 - 10:37 am: Sounds realistic to me. Parents try to teach their kids to do lots of things and they don't always listen. Most parents try to teach their kids to say no to drugs, not have sex, not drive too fast, do their homework, respect their elders; and not all of them do. =Sources= Category:Episodes Category:The Next Generation